Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang urged Hong Kong people to express their views in a “mock referendum” on the city’s constitutional reform.

More than an hour ahead of a mass rally to press for a genuine universal suffrage, Chan turned up at a poll station at Victoria Park to cast a ballot.

“I urge Hongkongers to come out and vote and hope no body will hack the system,” Chan said. “It is a good opportunity for you to express your views.

Chan has been a prominent pro-democracy figure since retiring from government as chief secretary, the second highest ranking official. She is also expected to take part in Wednesday’s afternoon march.

She said what Hong Kong needed at the start of a consultation exercise of universal suffrage was for people to use different channels to express views.

“[This is] what they see as an essential element in a genuine, internationally accepted universal suffrage proposal.”

Hundreds of people lined up at the Victoria Park poll station protesters shortly after noon to cast their votes on questions asked by pollsters on the constitutional reform.

Chan said latest polls by the HKU had found that Hongkongers’ expectations of universal suffrage had set a 20-year high record and that they were more concerned about achieving universal suffrage than they were about the economy and other livelihood issues.

“I hope the government will take note of that,” Chan said. “I hope Hongkongers have a genuine choice in electing leaders and no screening mechanism [in election].”

The pollsters asked citizens three questions: whether the nominating committee to pick candidates for Hong Kong’s chief executive should be made “more representative”; whether there should be “pre-screening” for candidates; and whether the public should be given the right to nominate candidates.

Two internet platforms, a website and a mobile phone application have been available for people to vote between 1am and 6pm on Wednesday. Citizens can also vote in person in the Victoria Park on Wednesday afternoon.

By 3pm, a total of 41,082 people had cast their votes in the exercise. A majority of them, 28,523, voted through a mobile phone application, and 11,537 did it on the organisers’ website. Only 1,022 voted in person at the poll stations.

Chan said latest polls by the HKU had found that Hongkongers’ expectations of universal suffrage had set a 20-year high record and that they were more concerned about achieving universal suffrage than they were about the economy and other livelihood issues.

“I hope the government will take note of that,” Chan said. “I hope Hongkongers have a genuine choice in electing leaders and no screening mechanism [in election].”